But Now I See - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The hot and stagnant air of Lee county Florida was a scorcher - ninety-four degrees in the shade and only 11:30 AM. Ken Clifton was pouring himself another cup of coffee. It didn’t matter how hot the weather was, Ken had to have his coffee. He had already finished off two pots and was half way through the third. As he stirred powdered creamer into the very strong and over cooked brew, the phone rang. Ken quickly reached for the receiver on the wall with his sweaty and greasy hand.

“Halo?” he greeted the caller in an anxious southern drawl.

“Hi Ken”

“Diane! Are you comin’ home? Can I come pick you up?”

“No Ken. I’ve told you that I don’t love you anymore. I ain’t coming back. I called to give you my new number in case there’s an emergency with one of the kids and you need to get a hold of me.”

Ken paused for a moment to compose himself and then almost shouted into the phone with a quivery voice, “Diane, you need to come home where you belong!”

“I’m not comin’ back Ken. I don’t want to be married to you anymore – it’s over! I’m tired of your drinking and I’m tired of being ignored!”

“Diane I’ve stopped drinkin’, haven’t had a drop since you left. And I’m sorry for not treatin’ you right. You were right, I needed to change – and I have, let me prove it to you!”

“It’s too late Ken. I’ve found someone who treats me like a woman should be treated, and I love him. It’s over Ken, now take down this number!” she said in obvious frustration.

Ken wrote the number on the front page of the classified section of the Lee County Gazette that he had been scanning for a cheap used car. He hung up the phone and thought for a moment. As he finished stirring his coffee he had an idea. He picked up the phone again and dialed a number.
Debra answered on the second ring.

“Debra, this is Ken in Florida.”

“Hi Ken how are you?” she said, obviously not really interested in the answer. She had never liked any of Keith’s family.

“Not too good. Diane has went nuts and left me – moved in with some guy. I need to talk to Keith, is he around?”

“Keith had a late night with some people from church last night, he’s still in bed. Can I have him call you when he wakes up?”

“Ya that’s fine. I need him to try and talk to his sister – see if he can talk her into comin’ home where she belongs.”

“I’ll have him call you as soon as he wakes up.”

“Thanks Debra.”

Ken hung up the phone encouraged. “If Diane will listen to anyone it will be her little brother Keith,” he thought out loud – then went back to scanning the classifieds.

* * *

Keith finally woke up at ten minutes before 2 o’clock. He had initially hoped that the spiritual cleansing from the previous night had been a nightmare, but the three lists lying on the nightstand dashed that hope. It was not a dream and Keith was not happy about that. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and tried to focus without success. His head was throbbing.

“I feel like crap and I need a cup of coffee” he grunted, barely audible.

As Keith shuffled across the floor of the bedroom toward the bathroom still mumbling something, Debra informed him that Ken needed to talk to him. “He called this morning - sounds pretty important. Apparently your sister has left him for another man and he wants you to call her and get her to go back to him. You sure have a screwed-up family Keith – I never did like any of them much, especially Ken.”

“Alright. Let me get a couple cups of coffee in me and get my bearings and I’ll give him a call. Man do I feel bad – like I got hit by a truck!” he said as he leaned against the wall next to the toilet.

* * *

By the third cup of coffee Keith was coherent enough to make the call to Ken.

“Ken, hey it’s Keith what’s going on?”

“Your sister has went crazy and left me, that’s what is goin’ on!”

“What happened?” Keith asked with concern in his voice.

“There’s this guy, Mike I think, that she’s seein’. Says she don’t love me anymore and that she’s in love with this other guy. I’m goin’ nuts! Can you call her and try to talk some sense into her? I think you are the only one she’ll listen to.”

Keith was having a hard time staying focused on the conversation, his mind drifting to the session with Wanda the night before.

“Keith, are you there?”

“Oh ya, ya, sorry I had a rough night and I’m still not totally awake yet. I’ll give her a call. You OK?”

“I’ll be OK when she’s home.” Ken said beginning to choke-up.

“Alright, I’ll call her now and then call you back. Don’t worry Ken, I know my sister loves you – she’s just not thinking clear right now.” And neither am I, Keith thought to himself still dazed. “Talk to you later Ken.”

“Bye”

Keith sat there with his eyes closed for a moment trying to piece everything together. He was trying to reconcile two problems in his head at the same time, his own dilemma with Wanda and Ken’s situation with Diane. For now he had to focus on one problem at a time for his own sanity’s sake. He opened his eyes, took another sip of coffee and dialed his sister’s number.